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The next generation of artist lofts will soon take shape in downtown Houston's warehouse district, just east of Highway 59.

Citing a dearth of live/work units for local artisans, national real estate developer Avi Ron is laying the groundwork for a combination residential-and-studio project at 2410 Commerce St.

By redeveloping two old warehouses totaling 44,000 square feet, Ron will bring some 35 artist lofts to the area. Construction will begin within a month.

Ron owns 6.5 acres of land at the site, allowing for another 60,000 square feet of studio space to be developed, says real estate broker and project consultant B. Kelley Parker III, of Cushman & Wakefield.

A number of warehouse buildings already exist along Commerce Street, housing an eclectic mix of painters and sculptors, says Parker.

"But lot of (artists) were displaced north of downtown as some of those older buildings were converted," he says.

Ron has owned the acreage for more than a year. It had been under contract to Houston-based tin townhome developer Larry S. Davis, who was planning a gated community of 120 of his metal-skinned residences on the site. The deal later fell through.

Within the next year, the east side's residential component will include much more than just artist lofts.

Stanford Development Corp., the construction arm of local investment and brokerage shop Stanford Financial Group, broke ground last week on its newest condominium project in downtown Houston.

Mayor Lee Brown and a group of Stanford executives shoveled the first dirt at the site of the company's planned six-story residential building at the corner of Texas Avenue and Bastrop. (See "Developer ventures to `other side,'" Nov. 17, 2000.) The ceremony officially launched the project's 12-month construction effort.

The new development, dubbed The Stanford, will contain 40 upscale units ranging in size from 1,555 square feet to more than 2,500 square feet. Prices will start in the $230,000s. Most units will have balconies and will face Enron Field and the downtown skyline.

Roger Huffine of Heritage Texas Properties is marketing the new building. Huffine says he has already sold two of the most expensive units in the property.

Meanwhile, another townhome builder is currently locking up east-side land to complete what could eventually be a 100-unit development.

Southern Legacy Custom Homes Inc. is developing a gated community near the corner of Dowling and Polk called Legacy Hills.

Each three-story townhome in Legacy Hills will contain more than 2,200 square feet, its own 15-by-25-foot yard, a two-car garage and two-car porte-cochére. The units will start at $295,000.

The project is being designed in a warehouse style to fit into the once heavy-industrial neighborhood.

Southern Legacy has already broken ground on the first phase of the development, which will consist of 11 units on a 29,000-square-foot tract of land. Negotiations are under way to acquire two more blocks in the area for additional phases, says Bruce Smith, president of Southern Legacy.

After more than seven years of building single-family homes mainly in northwest Harris County, Smith noticed that Houston's next residential boom was taking place downtown.

"There's been a lot of print media by national Realtors associations that says Houston has the most upside potential for downtown relocation than any city in the nation," says Smith. "Since we missed out on the other three sides (of Houston), we didn't want to miss out on this side."

Another east side rehab also under way is the Herrin Building.

The 97-year-old warehouse structure at 2205 McKinney at Hutchins is being converted into 41 condominiums.

Prices will range from $169,000 to $650,000.

Heritage's Huffine says 60 percent of The Herrin has already been pre-sold.

Local developer Gordon Jumonville spearheaded the project, although sources in the real estate community say he is looking for a buyer to take over the project.

Jumonville also worked with the team that converted downtown's 711 Main building into the Capitol Lofts.

And rental properties are also seeing development action.

Construction is heating up at the Lofts on the Ballpark, a 375-unit, four-story apartment complex near the corner of Texas Avenue and Hutchins. Houston-based Hanover Co. is charging from $900 to more than $1,600 per unit for rents.

All of the projects are located in the East Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment District.

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